Radio Drama: Narrative Development

Recognising that we only have a five minute slot to fill, our group decided that it should be filled with the arc of an on-going storyline.

Original Plot
Teaser: Susan cleaning her home hears shouting next door, followed by a scream.
Opening Title - Craig Armstrong - Escape 4.00-4.15
Scene One: Police turn up at the Windsor household to find Lara hysterical, Susan arrives and asks police to return another time when she has settled down. Susan then turns on Lara, threatening to blackmail her as she deduced what really happened. Lara threatens Susan back, as a warning, Susan leaves.
Scene Two: Jonathon comes home as ambulance, that police call for, leaves, he tries to console his wive, showing the true nature of their relationship.
Scene Three: Lara leaves to 'go to the shops', waits for Susan to leave her house, tries to run her over, Susan narrowly jumps out of the way and survives.
Scene Four: Lara returns home, hears noises upstairs, grabs gun for security. Finds Jonathon in bed with Sean, they argue and Lara shoots Sean. Cuts to Susan calling the police. Cuts to Lara arguing with Jonathon, police turn up, come up stairs just as Lara shoots Jonathon. Knowing she has no way out, Lara turns the gun on herself and commits suicide.

Problems with Original Plot

• Mid construction of the script we realised that the plot needed rewriting as the motive for Lara's killing spree was unjustified as she was, herself, having an affair and knew of Jonathan's sexuality.
• We found out we cannot use any music that we haven't created, so the intro music and a couple of pieces throughout had to be removed.
• If we were to shorten the script the continuity would be unstable, especially seeing as so much was to happen we would need to thoroughly explain some parts to explain what was going on.
• Susan's motive for blackmail was flawed, as was what she wanted.
• Lara's Character develops too fast, turning from spurned lover to killer too quickly.
• The gay affair is not needed in the storyline whatsoever and the guy she's having an affair with doesn't have any back story, only that Lara is obsessed with him.

Final Plot
Scene One: Gary Plackett is enjoying a pint with his friends after work when he gets a text from Lara Windsor to come over.
Scene Two: He arrives to find Jonathan Windsor waiting for him, they have a fight and Jonathan pushes Gary down the stairs. The relationship triangle is established.

Scene Three: Lara arrives home after shopping to find Gary's body at the foot of the stairs. She panics, screams and cries at the sight of him. As Lara tries to get her medication, she has trouble with bottle, so she gets angry with it, throws it and breaks down. Jonathan comes home to find Lara in a mess, immediately asking if she had already called the police, finding out she hasn't, he consoles her. He decides their alibi by planting a pair of Lara's earrings on his person and breaks a window to make it look as if it was a burglary that went awry. Jonathan leaves Lara crying to make a call to the police.

Scene Four: The police leave, explaining they'll be back in a few days for further questioning. Jonathan explains to Lara that this'll be their little secret, acting blase. When Lara questions him on his coolness to the situation he provokes her by returning the question back at her causing her to silence. Lara leaves the room to secretly call Susan Thursgrove, her best friend, this shows the exposes further the back story and the situation that Lara is in.

Scene Five: Lara returns from her cancelled hair appointment, that is implied that Jonathan had moved to another day, Jonathan plants seeds of doubt in her mind regarding her memory. He returns her phone, claiming he found it, pushing the point further. She then confronts him about a text she's found on her phone to Gary, the day he died, Jonathon then breaks down Lara, once again, to kill herself. She does so and he reports a 'suicide'.

Note:

There penultimate version followed a different ending...
Scene Five: Lara returns from her cancelled hair appointment, that is implied that Jonathan had moved to another day, Jonathan plants seeds of doubt in her mind regarding her memory. He returns her phone, claiming he found it, pushing the point further. As she goes into the other room to get him the newspaper, he pours boiling water over his hand, claiming she did it to him when she returns. He pushes the idea that she keeps blacking out and acting out, even questioning if she killed Gary finally pushing her to kill herself

We decided against this ending due to amount of sound effects, that it was bit messy and to cut down on time.

Tzvetan Todorov:Todorov wrote that:

• All narratives begin with equilibrium.
• There is a disruption of equilibrium.
• The disruption is regonised.
• There is an attempt to repair the disruption.
• A new equilibrium is established.

Within our narrative we see a similarities.
Equilibrium: Lara's illicit affair is secret, she is planning to leave her abusive partner with help from her lover, Gary, who receives a text message to meet her.
Disruption: Lara isn't there, it's her husband Gary, who knows everything, Jonathon murders Gary.

Recognition: Lara returns home and finds Gary dead, also realises her phone is missing.

Attempt to repair: Lara struggles to carry on as normal so that Jonathon is 'none-the-wiser'.

New equilibrium: Our new equilibrium is one of disruption, Jonathon makes Lara kill herself, thus ensuring the cycle of equilibrium. Being a serial drama there is no 'new equilibrium' as it is ongoing.

Vladimir Propp:

Propp concluded that all characters could be resolved into 8 character types in Russian fairytales-

• The VILLAIN — struggles against the hero.
• The DISPATCHER —character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off.
• The (magical) HELPER — helps the hero in the quest.
• The PRINCESS OR PRIZE — the hero deserves her throughout the story but is unable to marry her because of an unfair evil, usually because of the villain. The hero's journey is often ended when he marries the princess, thereby beating the villain.
• Her FATHER — gives the task to the hero, identifies the false hero, marries the hero, often sought for during the narrative. Propp noted that functionally, the princess and the father can not be clearly distinguished.
• The DONOR —prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object.
• The HERO or victim/seeker hero — reacts to the donor, weds the princess.
• FALSE HERO — takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the princess.

[-edit-]